


Sweet Tooth

by Camelittle



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, Dentistry, If you've ever had a root filling this might make you shudder, Innuendo, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:10:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2180904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camelittle/pseuds/Camelittle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur's a top-notch dentist, but his assistant is ill. Luckily for Gwaine, final-year dentistry student Merlin is available to help out with his root filling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Tooth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merlocked18](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlocked18/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Dentists](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/69081) by Merlocked18. 



> Well, Merlocked18 did [this thing](http://i.imgur.com/Utio3bl.jpg), for the amazing summer pornathon, which made me laugh so loud I spilled my tea. Merls, you are a genius and you make me smile EVERY SINGLE DAY with your gorgeous drawings. All the love and hugs to you. 
> 
> Rated Teen and Up because of really, really ridiculous innuendo.
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters belong to themselves, BBC and Shine, not to me.

What makes someone choose to be an actual dentist? The question has never been answered to Gwaine’s satisfaction. He’s pretty sure that the kind of person who gets off on probing around in someone else’s mouth with a cold, sharp steel implement is exactly the kind of person who he doesn’t want poking at his gums. It’s therefore with a deep seated suspicion that he pushes open the door to the surgery at Pendragon and Pendragon Dental Surgeons. But the surgery looks clean, bright and airy; the receptionist has a dazzling, dimpled smile, and flirts with him most deliciously.

"Thank you for choosing Pendragon and Pendragon for your root filling replacement," she says, head coquettishly on one side. "Don't worry, you'll be in good hands!"

"I wouldn't mind being in your hands, later!" says Gwaine, winking at her, and peering at her name badge. "How about it, Gwen?"

She smirks. "Saucy! Now, sir, I hope you don't mind, we have a student with us today. Arthur's usual dental nurse is unwell, so we were going to ask if it’s all right if the dental student takes her place? We can arrange for a substantial discount to your treatment if you will allow him to conduct some of the surgery – with strict supervision, of course!"

For some reason, Gwaine really can't say no. Dimples, plus a substantial discount, are a winning combination. Afterwards he wonders just what he's done to damage his normally finely-tuned self-preservation mechanisms.

He's ushered into a nondescript-looking room, dominated by the dreaded shiny, black chair of doom. A blond bloke turns and greets him with a smile.

"Good morning, sir, I'm Arthur, and I'll be relieving you of your little problem today." The dentist speaks with the kind of quiet confidence that is normally reserved for British Airways pilots. Gwaine is lulled into a false sense of security when he settles onto the chair, the leather squeaking under his bum. He doesn't even feel the faintest sense of apprehension when the dentist rotates the scary alien-space-ship light into place.

It's only while Gwaine's relating the tale of woe about his agonising pain, swollen gums and inability to chew that the first premonition hits him. He doesn't appear to have Arthur's full attention at all. Instead, Arthur's gazing, rapt, at someone who has just come into the room.

"Merlin?" says Arthur, abruptly cutting off Gwaine's lengthy description of the way that it feels like his jaw has been smashed with a sledgehammer whenever he tries to eat. "This one's a root job. Are you sure you're up to it?" The two men lock eyes above Gwaine's prone body.

"Oh yes," says Merlin in a husky voice. "I'm fully prepared. Ready whenever you are."

"Oh." Arthur coughs. "I see! Well, I'm sure you can apply the appropriate suction. Erm, I mean, I'm sure you're competent with the tools."

Merlin laughs. "Oh yes, I got top marks, for my… suction..."

Gwaine can actually see Arthur's Adam's apple bob up and down beneath his face mask as he swallows, and another cloud of apprehension wafts over him.

"Right," says Arthur, clearing his throat. "Right you are. Well, sir, let's take a look at what we're dealing with. Open wide. A little wider, if you don't mind… move your tongue a little? Oh my! Yes, well, I think we can do something to relieve that swelling, for you, sir. But first we’ll need to drill out this enormous canal."  

"Don't worry, sir," says Merlin. "Arthur has a fantastic reputation for his skills. At drilling." His voice tails off for a moment. "Erm. And his firm hands are legendary," he adds in a hoarse whisper.

"Before we drill you we'll need to numb the area." says Arthur, humming while he taps his syringe. "There'll be a little prick at first, but after a moment you won't feel a thing. There we go! Suction, Merlin! Not like that, you idiot!" Arthur glares at Merlin across Gwaine's prone body. "You're sucking the wrong bit. I've told you about that, before. There's a spot right there… that's it. That's much better."

"Oops!" Merlin's voice, previously calm, wavers.  "Sorry!"

"Right." Arthur sighs. "Sorry, sir. Rinse and spit, please. You're dribbling a bit, sir. Would you like a tissue?"

While he swirls the odd-tasting pink liquid round his tongue, Gwaine's beginning to regret saying yes to the dental student. He's about to say something when Arthur asks him to open his mouth again. Steeling himself for an uncomfortable hour or two, Gwaine tries to think of something beautiful, like van Persie's goal against Spain, but he can still feel his heartbeat racing as the familiar whining sound starts up.

"Everythings going to be fine, sir," says Arthur. "Merlin's going to start drilling. Take it away, Merlin! Nice and easy to start, don’t give him too much all at once, now."

"Erm," says Merlin, and Gwaine doesn't like the nervous edge to his voice, "Erm, now, you might feel a grinding sensation, sir. Dearie me, this one's a bit loose, isn't it, sir?"

"Ahem!" says Arthur, blinking rapidly. "We're going to need to change the tip. Pull out, Merlin, just a little tug, that's it! There we go, sir, rinse and spit."

"Won't be a minute, sir," says Merlin. The two of them back away and huddle over the instrumentation while Gwaine rinses his mouth out.

"It's a delicate instrument, Merlin, it needs gentle handling," Gwaine can hear Arthur say in an urgent whisper. "Don’t grab it like that! Gently does it, now ease the phlange down… it should just pop off when you've got the positioning right. Not like that, you'll bend it! You'll know when you've done it right. That's better"

When they finally return to Gwaine, and resume their positions around his mouth, Arthur's still issuing instructions.

"It needs to be firm, but gentle. Don't just poke at it, aimlessly. Firm, slow circles around the sensitive area should do it. Hang on, your grip's all wrong. You'll need to squeeze a little bit harder, otherwise it will fall out. Just… a bit harder. Harder! Oh yes! Yes! That's it! Well done! Just like that!"

They pause, a few minutes later, and both men look a little red-faced.

"Arthur," says Merlin, sounding a bit breathless, "I think I'm ready for the next step."

"Fine," says Arthur, who also appears to be having difficulty with his breathing. "Switch in another tip. You'll need to use the utmost precision for this part. And remember, always lubricate before you put it in and out of the canal."

A few minutes later, Gwaine's being admonished to open up a little further to accommodate the probe.

"It's not going in!" says Merlin, sounding a little hysterical.

"I'm not surprised! You're not holding it right. Adjust the angle slightly to get a better stab at it. Don't manhandle my instrument like that! It's not designed to be mauled! Don't force it, it'll break. Just ease it in. Here, let me show you."

Merlin lets out a frustrated noise. "It's still not quite all the way in."

"If the canal's a little rough, pull out and add more lubricant, Merlin," says Arthur.

Gwaine's definitely not imagining the tiny gasp that this statement elicits from Merlin, nor the way that a faint flush steals up Arthur's neck.

"Hold still, please, sir," says Merlin. "Erm, I think I'm going to have to pull out. There's a slight *ahem* obstruction." He clears his throat, and both men push down on Gwaine's shoulders while Merlin tugs, hard. "Brace yourself!"

Gwaine's jaw is pulled hither and thither for a moment, and then suddenly, to his great relief, he's freed.

"Perhaps you'd like to rinse and spit."  

When he lies down again, it's Arthur who's holding the drill this time. "I'm just going to give you a good wash, sir," he says. "It looks like whoever filled you last did not do a good job of cleaning you out afterwards. There," he purrs. "This should glide in, nice and easy. Let me know if I go in too far, just lift your hand if I hit a sensitive spot. Suction, Merlin. Suction!"

And with that, Gwaine's plunged into a world, not of actual pain, no, he's too numb for that, but of extreme discomfort.

It seems like hours before Arthur steps back again, raising triumphant eyebrows. “There we go, sir, that’s your canal well filled!” he says. His eyes seem startlingly blue all of a sudden; Gwaine imagines he’s smiling, broadly. “Now we’ll just sort out the rest of the hole and send you out of here with a spring in your step.”

It's probably only a few minutes later, although it feels like a lifetime, when it's all over.

"Perfect," says Arthur. "I expect that's a huge relief, sir. Now we've cleaned your hole up and filled it, the swelling should go down in no time. Just wait for a little while for it to harden a bit, before you use it again."

"That was amazing, Arthur," Merlin says, his voice almost a whisper. His eyes have disappeared into a maze of crinkles; Gwaine imagines he must be grinning like a loon behind the mask. "When you wiggled it around like that, it just slid into the gap. Voilà!"

"Yes, well, it just takes a little finesse, Merlin. You don't need to jerk it about like a mad thing." Arthur sounds more than a little smug. When he drags down his face mask, Gwaine can see that he's also smiling.

Bright blue eyes train themselves back on Gwaine, and those bitten-pink lips narrow in admonishment.

"I have to say, though, sir, I'm afraid it looks like you've been grinding at night," says Arthur sternly, as he wrenches his latex gloves off with a snap. "You should wear something to protect the sensitive areas when you go to bed. There's a bit of misalignment, too. If you like, my colleague, Morgana, can help administer corrective treatment. I’ll have a word with Gwen and get you fixed up for a session with her." He strides out of the room, Merlin in his wake.

Gwaine's a bit dazed by the whole thing when he goes to pay Gwen.

"All right?" she says, her eyes kind.

He nods, still speechless.

"I wouldn't worry," she says, with an understanding smile. "I'm sure they'll shag and put us all out of our misery soon."


End file.
